This application claims the benefit of the Application Number 0003486 filed Mar. 17, 2000 in France, which is incorporated herein by reference.
This invention relates to circuit breakers and, more particularly to a circuit breaker drive for use with circuit breakers.
It is known in the art to provide circuit breakers for electrical systems. The circuit breaker is operative to disengage the electrical system under certain operating conditions. It is advantageous to provide a mechanism whereby the electrical system is reengaged remotely and with a minimum response time. The circuit breaker drive allows the circuit breaker to be operated remotely. A drive for molded case circuit breakers is described in French Patent No. 2,701,596. With the drive, the circuit breaker can be opened, closed or reset after trip. It is the fore necessary to develop a faster operating mechanism capable of reengaging the electrical system in a minimum amount of time.
A circuit breaker drive is disclosed. The circuit breaker drive includes an actuator for assuming a plurality of positions and a lever coupled to the actuator and responsive to the action of the actuator. The circuit breaker drive also includes a cam rotatable about an axis, the cam is juxtaposed proximate the lever, and the lever is operative to rotate the cam about the axis. The circuit breaker drive further includes a rack coupled to the cam and to an operating handle of the mol circuit breaker. Rotation of the cam about the axis drives the rack to move the operating handle.